Supporters of Andy Burnham are supposedly backing reforms to inheritance tax rules that could increase tax bills on inherited assets
Middle‑class families could face significantly higher tax bills on inherited property under proposals reportedly backed by supporters of Andy Burnham to abolish the capital gains tax (CGT) uplift on death.
The reforms would change how CGT is calculated on inherited assets, potentially leaving some beneficiaries facing both inheritance tax and capital gains tax on the same property.
Mr Burnham’s allies are understood to be examining CGT changes as Britain’s overall tax burden remains at its highest level in decades.
Louise Haigh, a close ally of Mr Burnham, recently argued that any review of the tax system should “at a minimum” consider reforming the uplift.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting, seen by some as a possible future Chancellor, has previously suggested CGT rates should be aligned with income tax rates.
Under the current system, inherited assets are revalued at market value on the date of death, wiping out any gains made during the deceased’s lifetime.
CGT is only charged on gains made after inheritance if the asset is later sold.
Removing the uplift would instead mean beneficiaries inherit the original acquisition cost, creating far larger taxable gains when the asset is disposed of.
Under the reported proposals, a higher‑rate taxpayer inheriting a property that had doubled in value over several decades could face a CGT bill of more than £23,000 on gains currently exempt.
Basic‑rate taxpayers would continue to pay 18 per cent on qualifying residential property gains, while higher‑rate taxpayers would pay 24 per cent.
Telegraph Money tax columnist Mike Warburton said: “We already have a death tax in the form of inheritance tax and I do not think we need another one. Executors already have a difficult job to do and we should not be making it any harder.”
It is unclear whether any CGT reform would be accompanied by changes to inheritance tax, prompting concerns that some estates could be exposed to both taxes on the same assets.
Gary Smith of Evelyn Partners said such an outcome was “unlikely to go down well” with the public.
The largest impact would fall on estates valued above £500,000 for individuals or £1million for married couples and civil partners.
Begbies Chartered Accountants estimates that, in some circumstances, the combined effect of inheritance tax and CGT could produce an effective tax rate of up to 62 per cent.
Supporters of abolishing the uplift — including Tax Justice UK, Centax and Fairer Share — argue the current system encourages people to retain appreciating assets until death to avoid CGT.
Begbies tax director Andrew Brooker warned that removing the uplift without wider reform could discourage asset sales.
“Discouraging asset sales through very high tax rates doesn’t make a great deal of economic sense either as it gums up markets,” he said.
Mr Burnham’s speech in Manchester on Monday offered little detail on his tax plans, saying only that he wanted to “give Britain the circuit breaker it needs”.
Olly Cheng, financial planning director at Rathbones, said: “From a personal finance perspective, there was plenty of style but little substance.”
According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), around 350,000 people pay capital gains tax each year — roughly 0.65 per cent of the UK’s adult population.